Morehead State

Men’s Basketball Looks to Make It Two in a Row in Georgia Saturday

December 16, 2022
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MercerPreview

Men’s Basketball Looks to Make It Two in a Row in Georgia Saturday

12/15/2022 3:36:00 PM

By: By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations

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GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)

MOREHEAD, Ky. — Following a win at Georgia Southern Wednesday, Morehead State’s Men’s Basketball team makes the trek back toward the Bluegrass with a stop in Macon, Ga., Saturday. The Eagles will look to make it two straight wins in the Peach State as they face Mercer at 2 p.m. ET.

Morehead State and Mercer meet up for the first time since 1979 with the series tied 2-2. Morehead State will look for its first win in Macon.

The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Dean Hardin. It is also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. The game will also be on ESPN+.

2022-23 RECORDS
MSU: 6-5 | MER: 5-6

SERIES RECORD

Record vs. Mercer: 2-2

First Meeting: 12/2/72 MSU won 96-91 at MSU

Last Meeting: 2/21/79 MER won 86-73 at MER

Streak: MER, 1 game

Record vs. MER in Macon, Ga.: 0-2

Record vs. MER in Morehead: 2-0

Neutral Record: 0-0

NOTABLE
• The matchup at Mercer is the Eagles’ second against a Southern Conference foe this season, having defeated ETSU 61-57 at home last week. MSU’s overall record against current SoCon programs is 45-42 (29-28 vs. ETSU).

• Morehead State did not hit a field goal in the final 9:35 at Georgia Southern Wednesday but still won the game 74-71, thanks to hitting 21 free throws in that final 10-minute span. MSU hit 27 overall free throws, the most since Feb. 22, 2021 when MSU nailed 31 free tosses in an 89-81 overtime home win over Belmont. The 27 at GSU is also the most free throws made in a true road game since Feb. 27, 2016 (30 at Jacksonville State).

• Jake Wolfe scored all 11 of his points at the free throw line at Georgia Southern, the most individual free throws made in an MSU game since Jordan Walker hit 14 vs. SIUE on Jan. 9, 2020.

• Alex Gross is one of just eight current players on Division I teams to score 2,000+ career points in college. He is the ONLY current player in Division I to record 2,000+ points AND 1,200+ career rebounds in college (Gross’ first four seasons were in NAIA). His career college totals stand at 2,162 points and 1,304 career rebounds.

•  Morehead State has the rare opportunity to potentially have four 1,000+ point college scorers on the same team this year. Alex Gross(2,162) and Branden Maughmer (1,805) already have surpassed 1,000. Mark Freeman has 940 and Jalen Hawkins is at 837.

• MSU leads the OVC and ranks seventh nationally in three-point percentage defense, allowing opponents to only hit 26 percent from distance. MSU held Georgia Souther to just 4-for-26 this week. The Eagles are the ONLY team from a Mid-Major conference currently in the top 10 nationally in three-point defense.

• Mark Freeman now has 42 career double-figure scoring games in his time at Tennessee State, Illinois State and Morehead State. He has appeared in nine games this year with seven double-figure scoring efforts.

• Alex Gross leads the OVC in field goal percentage, hitting 64 percent. It’s his third consecutive season shooting at a 60 percent rate or higher.

• Kalil Thomas equaled his college career high with 21 points at Georgia Southern. He hit 8-of-9 overall and four three-pointers. Thomas also had 21 against Kentucky State this year and 21 versus Binghamton when he was at UMass-Lowell.

• The Eagles rank first or second in the Ohio Valley Conference in eight NCAA stats categories (blocks, FT%, FTs made, rebound margin, rebounds/game, defensive rebounds, scoring defense, 3-pt% defense and win/loss%).

• In the last three games, MSU’s opponents are just 8-of-45 from three-point distance (17 percent). Meanwhile the Eagles are 20-of-54 from long range (38 percent) during that span.

• Head coach Preston Spradlin needs two wins to become the sixth head coach in program history to lead his teams to 100+ wins. If the Eagles defeat Mercer, Spradlin will get the chance to coach his 100th victory against his alma mater, Alice Lloyd (Ky.) on Dec. 21.

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